We are all to this point. Wherever you go, hand sanitizer is not to be had. Even if this shortage is induced by a bit of a hysteria and contagious stress, it’s unnerving nonetheless. This has led to a surge of DIY hand sanitizer recipes trending on social networks.
So after looking through several of these recipes, and finding consensus on most of the ingredients, we tried to make our own, and it seems there is no better timing for this article to go out.
It was such a huge hit, and many volunteers opted to try it despite brand name hand sanitizer being readily available in most classrooms. We’d thought we would share it if 1) you may really need a sanitizer option or 2) you need something to do over the next two weeks and can get these items below.
First a list of things you need:
- Aloe Vera gel to serve as a moisturizer (we only had the blue menthol/lidocaine for pain relief of summer sunburns variety, which added to the crazy smell ours had)
- Rubbing alcohol, minimum 60% (we could only find one bottle at Walgreens and it was wintergreen-scented…which added to the strange smell).
- Essential oils (for a good smell). Ms. Teasley only had mixed berry…which topped off the crazy smell. Move over Bath & Body Works, we’ll knock your nose off.
- A whisk (or spoon)
- A measuring cup
- A bowl
- A empty travel bottle (or empty hand sanitizer bottle, since you’re likely to find many right now)
- A basic kitchen funnel
First, we put the 2/3 cup of the rubbing alcohol into the mixing bowl.
I then added Essential oils for the smell (I used about 12 drops). It was pungent. Most essential oils are so strong, a few drops go a long way.
I then proceeded to mix them all together
About a minute of mixing it finally came along so then I poured it into the funnel into an empty travel bottle. Eventually, it was added to an almost-empty hand sanitizer bottle.
Then we finally tried it. People commented on the scent from the hallway, and reviews were mixed.
The reviews of my hand sanitizer were varied. Some people said it smelled like bubbles, some said a hybrid of the dentist and a hospital. Some gagged and immediately washed their hands, but again, review what we had available. We used what we had, not what we would choose. But isn’t that where we are? We are resourceful! I personally think it smells like a bubble bath, and the smells transitioned as the alcohol evaporated. . It could potentially work as good as store bought hand sanitizer if you do it right!
As for whether or not it’s truly effective, we don’t know. Many experts advise not to make your own because its very difficult to get the ratios right, or that the alcohol strength may not be high enough. However, if there is nothing else, and you can snag these ingredients, this may be the perfect idea to just keep on you when you’re in a pinch or to keep around your house.
Let us know if you tried it!
THE WARRIOR WORD 